While in Nashville, I visited the Parthenon, which is a replication of the statue of Athena, the goddess of Wisdom, in ancient Greece. In many ways this place reminded of my childhood. Growing up in Guinea, I was an addict of the Knights of the Zodiac, which was a TV show of young people who “had sworn to defend the reincarnation of the Greek goddess Athena in her battle against other Olympian gods who wanted to dominate Earth.” This mythological story resonated with me. I enjoyed watching it because I wanted to become one of these self-less fighters. The show expressed one of my deepest yearnings, which was to give my life to something bigger than me. Yesterday again, I was reminded of my childhood deepest yearnings and the power that myths can play in shaping our lives. I thought my bliss was to become a superhero to save the world from evil. I still do.
Nowadays, I have come to realize that mythologies are not lies. They are also not facts. As Joseph Campbell stated, they are public dreams and every society or nation has its own myths. They are metaphorical expressions of our deepest yearnings, fear and doubts. Unlike scripture or religion in general, myths do not tell us what to do or how to behave. They simply remind us what is important, what matters. They provide to each generation the tools to derive meaning and to fight for something bigger than their individual aspirations. Most mythological stories preceded our time and will supersede our existence. Walking away from these myths will only distance us from our own humanity and collective memory. The survival of any society or nation depend on its capacity to re-invent or to renew with its most enduring myths.
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